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LED Fans.... can the lights be turned off?

E

elbirth

Member
Not entirely sure this belongs here, but it's dealing with fans (thus cooling) so I'll give it a shot.

Anyway, I have a Chieftec X-Pider case (with a side window). I have 5 blue LED fans in it (2 front, 2 back, 1 side). The PSU also has tri-colored LEDS (orange, purple, red) and my Volcano 9 has blue LEDs (and red when the hdd is being accessed). I've also got 2 blue CC tubes that I turn on here and there, but leave off for the most part, unless I'm at a LAN or something.

I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to turn off the LEDs (But keep the fans running) at night? I mainly just want to shut off the 5 fans at night while I'm sleeping. Not only because they add a blue haze to my darkened room, but also because they've become nice bug magnets. There have been a few times I've been awakened by the sound of a bug's arm or antenna in one of the fans, constantly making noises.

I would prefer not to shut the computer down at night... I've thought about putting the fans on a babybus or rheobus and turning them off at night, but don't wanna let it heat up too much...

Any ideas other than spending more money on non-LED fans?
 
Well, like I said I want to keep the fans on... don't want things to heat up too much, though I'm going to experiment sometime soon and see how much temperature difference I get with all 5 off...
I've thought about getting a fanbus and just turning them off at night, but don't want the computer to burn up.

I've thought about possibly trying to put a switch on the extra wire going to the fans for the LEDs, but have no electrical experience in doing anything like that.
 
I dont think you can turn the LEDs off with out turning the fans off unless you modify the LEDs and run them off a seperate power line because I think they run in series with the power from the fan.
 
Originally posted by: HiTek21
I dont think you can turn the LEDs off with out turning the fans off unless you modify the LEDs and run them off a seperate power line because I think they run in series with the power from the fan.
Click to expand...

You hit the target. He is right.
 
That's what I figured.... but any ideas how to go about doing that?

I notice there's a separate wire going to them, yet I know basically nothing about electricity, and messing with rewiring things.
 
I'm pretty sure the wires that come off from the LEDs are short and you'll probably have to solder on a longer wire with a 4 pin molex connector. Its a good project to work on if you have some free time and want to learn something new.

I wouldn't worry too much about the life span of your LED's, it will probably outlast the fan itself.
 
Yeah, I'm not too worried about them dying on me... just wanna have control over when they light up, mostly.

I'll have to look around for info on adding the molex on there and see what I can come up with... it'd be a decent mod to help get me going.
 
I have several LED fans as well. I use a Sunbeam rheobus to turn the fans off at night or when the computer is not being used or is only used lightly. My temps are fine with only the two intake fans running at about 1500rpm and the PSU exhaust fan. Unless your PC has terrible airflow I can't see how turning off the fans at night would cause that great an increase in heat. In fact, I hardly ever do much that requires me to turn on the other fans.

\Dan
 
Originally posted by: EeyoreX
I have several LED fans as well. I use a Sunbeam rheobus to turn the fans off at night or when the computer is not being used or is only used lightly. My temps are fine with only the two intake fans running at about 1500rpm and the PSU exhaust fan. Unless your PC has terrible airflow I can't see how turning off the fans at night would cause that great an increase in heat. In fact, I hardly ever do much that requires me to turn on the other fans.

\Dan
Click to expand...

Be sure to experiment with it first while you're around the PC. I got a rheobus and tried it with only the CPU and PSU fans active; the rest of the fans in the system were turned off. The CPU temp went from its average of 44C up to 55C in like 5 minutes. It definitely needs more ventilation than just that. But then it's got loads of hardware in it.
 
You have a point, but all of my intake/exhaust fans have LEDs, so only leaving a couple on wouldn't really work... the only fans that would then be left on would be the psu and hsf (though they have much dimmer lights, so they wouldnt be too bad).
I think I'm just gonna try and get one of my unused tri-led fans and see if I can get a molex on there somehow, and if so do it to these 5.....
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: EeyoreX
I have several LED fans as well. I use a Sunbeam rheobus to turn the fans off at night or when the computer is not being used or is only used lightly. My temps are fine with only the two intake fans running at about 1500rpm and the PSU exhaust fan. Unless your PC has terrible airflow I can't see how turning off the fans at night would cause that great an increase in heat. In fact, I hardly ever do much that requires me to turn on the other fans.

\Dan
Click to expand...

Be sure to experiment with it first while you're around the PC. I got a rheobus and tried it with only the CPU and PSU fans active; the rest of the fans in the system were turned off. The CPU temp went from its average of 44C up to 55C in like 5 minutes. It definitely needs more ventilation than just that. But then it's got loads of hardware in it.
Click to expand...


my case isn't full, but not empty either.. I've got the mobo/cpu/hsf, video card, sound card, hdd, dvd, cdrw... nice bit of space, but the cables can get in the way, and this is why I think mine might be like yours and jump up in temperature.
 
just a note from my experiance with my 5 blue LEDs in my Chieftec case. I installed the Sunbeam rheobus and when i turn it to 7v ( the LED on the rheobus switches to red) the fans' LEDs don't have enough power to be bright anymore. The fans still provide some airflow, but the lights aren't (or maybe just barely) turned on. I'm sure there's enough airflow to keep an idle system safe, but it helps darken the system alot. One downside is the Sunbeam only supports 4 devices at a time. I may buy a second so i can wire all 5 case fans and my CC light too.
 
i too have an xpider with 5 fans. theres no way to easily turn off the leds. but i don'tknow how you sleep with all the racket they make at max speed. i connected em all to a vantec speed controller/rheobus. the 4 case fans to 1st channel, 2nd chanel has the side window fan since i well.. like to control em that way. i kept em pretty low speed most of the time, thats all you need really with that many fans. keeps noise nice and low and the leds dim a little. besides throwing a cloth over the window, i don't ese a way to get rid of the light.

i also hooked up the psu fans to the fan controller, that require a bit of cutting and crimping though. at default, the entire setup with all 80mm fans blaring is too loud for my ears. i maybe hypersensitive though🙂
 
eh thats bull really. led flashlights have their voltage sag for a good deal of time when the batteries run low. it doesn't affect em. it just makes em dimmer😛 leds are damaged by excessive heat from excessive voltage and from reverse polarity. thats about it.
 
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